The Who: Maximum R&B (Paperback)

by Richard Barnes (Author), Roxane Streeter (Author), Pete Townshend (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"For The Who fanatic and the casual fan alike." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Even 16 years after they broke up, the Who remain a potent force in rock 'n' roll. Their classic works have been reissued on remastered CDs and the band's members continue to produce innovative new work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Plexus Publishing (UK); 3rd edition (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0859652874
• ISBN-13: 978-0859652872
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,773,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It All Looks Fine to the Naked Eye..., September 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Who: Maximum R&B (Paperback)

Casual boutique-dwelling, pop fans saw The Who almost a novelty act that wrote a few catchy tunes (see Pinball Wizard). Then maybe they heard the radio staples like Baba O'Reilly and Bargain and thought they knew The Who as a group with a few good songs that had an interesting stage show. These trend followers received the shock of their lives when they found out that the four sweet English boys who sang nice songs like Happy Jack and Squeeze Box actively loathed each other, fought with each other on stage and in the press, smashed their instruments and thought that feedback was "interesting". Dave Marsh wrote that The Who was the family on the block whose public squabbles "told the real story" and that the fans who couldn't handle The Who's entire package "moved on to less challenging heroes", but that those who stayed stayed for life. Richard Barnes book "Maximum R&B" is for the LIFERS. Barnes gets below the Ivy League clad Mod surface to show how The Who's lack of apparent personal chemistry and tendency to outdo one another made the band go. The early stories of the Detours and Daltrey's initial domination only explain why the band is what it is today. Additionally, the Keith Moon anecdotes are particularly amusing, especially when the reader realizes that Keith Moon was a living person, and not some myth MCA records created to sell The Who's back catalog. The photo's are all top-notch. I've read the original version of the book and the updated 1996 edition. My only problem with the latest version is that it doesn't contain the Flexi-single of Townshend's demoes of "Pinball Wizard" and "My Generation". Maximum R&B is a must for any Who fan or anyone who realizes that rock music, not pop music, is more than just entertainment.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Who book in the whole world., July 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Who: Maximum R&B (Paperback)

This is the book for every Who fan. Thousands of pics, and more information than any other book. Richard Barnes knows the Who extremly well, and although his writing isn't all that great, there is more info than anyone could ever want. The Who Maximum R&B is the greatest Who book ever written.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars R&B forever, March 12, 2002

By	Sam Kongslie "rdrums4real" (Norway) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was my introduction to The Who. And it remains my favourite. Because it's so well written, that you can read it ten times over, and still find details. And the pictures and memorabilia are stunning. Written by the man who came up with the name "THE WHO" no less.